The 6th International 300-Mile Sweepstakes Race was the sixth running of the Indianapolis 500. It was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Tuesday, May 30, 1916. The management scheduled the race for 120 laps, , the only Indianapolis 500 scheduled for less than .

Although the common belief is that the race distance was changed due to the onset of World War I, it was in fact Speedway management that changed the distance in an attempt to make the race shorter and more appealing to fans. Despite the one-time altered distance, the race is still considered part of the continuous lineage of the Memorial Day classic, known as the Indianapolis 500."The Talk of Gasoline Alley" - WFNI: May 5, 2012 In addition to the altered distance, the start time was moved from 10:00 a.m. to the early afternoon (1:30 p.m.)

Seven of the cars were entered by the Speedway or its owners, in order to ensure a strong field during the war. None of them finished in the top five. Despite the promoter's entries, the field consisted of only 21 cars, the smallest in Indy history. 1915 winner Ralph DePalma withheld his entry for 1916, demanding $5,000 in appearance money from Speedway management. Carl Fisher refused to accede to the demand, and DePalma's subsequent entry blank, filed after the deadline, was rejected.

Eddie Rickenbacker took the lead at the start, and led the first nine laps until dropping out with steering problems. Dario Resta led 103 of the 120 laps, and claimed the victory. Resta was accompanied by riding mechanic Bob Dahnke.

Three months after the 1916 race, on the weekend after Labor Day, the Speedway held a second event, with three short races as the Harvest Auto Racing Classic.

World War I

The 1917 race was scheduled to return to 500 miles, but a dispute with the local hoteliers and the escalation of World War I intervened. On March 23, 1917, Speedway management cancelled the 1917 Indianapolis 500, and halted racing at the facility for both 1917 and 1918.

The track was offered as a landing strip and maintenance/refueling station for military aircraft traveling between Wilbur Wright Field and Chanute Air Force Base. It was referred to as the Speedway Aviation Repair Depot, and the 821st Aero Repair Squadron was stationed there.821st Areo Squadron, Aviation Repair Depot, Speedway, Indiana, December 1918 In addition, several experimental aircraft were tested at the grounds. At least one test pilot was fatally injured in a plane crash at the track.The Talk of Gasoline Alley - 1070-AM WIBC, June 15, 2005

No racing of any kind took place at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1917–1918. Likewise, the National Championship was suspended in both 1917 and 1918. There were, however, AAA races (non-championship races) conducted during the war years at other tracks. On Memorial Day 1917, a 250-mile race was held at Cincinnati.1917 Sharonville Sweepstakes

The Indianapolis 500 resumed after the war in 1919.

Starting grid RowInsideInside CenterOutside CenterOutside 118 Johnny Aitken5 Eddie Rickenbacker28 Gil Andersen17 Dario Resta 215 Barney Oldfield29 Howdy Wilcox27 Tom Rooney 19 Charlie Merz 34 Pete Henderson 1 Wilbur D'Alene 7 Arthur Chevrolet21 Jules Devigne 49 Ora Haibe 14 Josef Christiaens24 Billy Chandler23 Aldo Franchi 526 Art Johnson 25 Dave Lewis 12 Tom Alley10 Ralph Mulford 68 Louis Chevrolet

Box score

FinishStartNoNameEntrantChassisEngineQualRankLapsStatus1417 Dario RestaPeugeot Auto Racing CompanyPeugeotPeugeot94.4004120 84.00 mph2101 Wilbur D'Alene Duesenberg BrothersDuesenbergDuesenberg90.87011120 +1:5832010 Ralph MulfordRalph MulfordPeugeotPeugeot91.09010120 +3:3941414 Josef ChristiaensSunbeam Motor Car CompanySunbeamSunbeam86.08016120 +12:195515 Barney OldfieldBarney OldfieldDelageDelage94.3305120 +13:02694 Pete Henderson (Eddie Rickenbacker Laps 52–120)Prest-O-Lite Racing TeamMaxwellMaxwell91.3309120 +15:397629 Howdy Wilcox(Gil Andersen)Indianapolis Speedway Team CompanyPremierPremier93.8106120 +20:3781726 Art Johnson William ChandlerCrawfordDuesenberg83.69019120 +27:3791524 Billy Chandler(Frank Elliott)William ChandlerCrawfordDuesenberg84.84017120 +28:2610139 Ora Haibe S. OstewegOstewegWisconsin87.08015120 +28:53111912 Tom AlleyOgren Motor Car CompanyDuesenbergDuesenberg82.04021120 +30:3012218 Louis ChevroletChevrolet BrothersFrontenacFrontenac87.6901382Rod13328 Gil AndersenIndianapolis Speedway Team CompanyPremierPremier95.940375Oil line141825 Dave Lewis William ChandlerCrawfordDuesenberg83.1202071Gas tank15118 Johnny AitkenIndianapolis Speedway Team CompanyPeugeotPeugeot96.690169Valve161221 Jules Devigne (Jack LeCain)Harry HarknessDelageDelage87.1701461Crash NC17727 Tom Rooney Indianapolis Speedway Team CompanyPremierPremier93.390748Crash T118117 Arthur ChevroletChevrolet BrothersFrontenacFrontenac87.7401235Magneto19819 Charlie MerzIndianapolis Speedway Team CompanyPeugeotPeugeot93.330825Lubrication2025 Eddie RickenbackerPrest-O-Lite Racing TeamMaxwellMaxwell96.44029Steering211623 Aldo Franchi Aldo FranchiPeugeotSunbeam84.120189Engine trouble

Note: Relief drivers in parentheses

Indianapolis 500 Rookie

Race statistics

Lap Leaders Laps Leader1–9 Eddie Rickenbacker10–17 Johnny Aitken18–120 Dario Resta

Total laps led Laps Leader Dario Resta 103 Eddie Rickenbacker 9 Johnny Aitken 8

Race details For 1916, riding mechanics were required. In the weeks and months leading up to the race, Speedway president Carl G. Fisher had expressed concern and disdain over the local hoteliers' practice of price gouging customers during the race week. It reached a boiling point where Fisher threatened to move the 1916 and/or 1917 Memorial Day 500-mile race to a board track in Cincinnati, Ohio. Ultimately, a truce was reached, and the race(s) were not moved. Apropos to that, the 1917 Indianapolis 500 was cancelled anyway shortly after the entry blanks were mailed out, due to the escalation of World War I.The Talk of Gasoline Alley - WFNI, May 23, 2013 Driver Jack LeCain was forced to miss the race due to a broken crankshaft suffered during a practice run two days before the race. He drove relief for Delage teammate Jules Devigne, taking over shortly beyond the 100-mile mark. After 61 laps, he suffered a serious crash, leaving him critically injured.

Notes

Works cited "New Planes for Old" - The Work of the Aviation Repair Depots: Aerial Ace Weekely, 1 September 1919

References